Engine-starting device.



0. A. MILNE, W. TAYLOR & M. R. CHURCHILL.

ENGINE STARTING DEVICE. APPLIUATION FILED MAY 13, 1909. 1,032,694. Patented July 16, 1912.

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'0. A. MILNE, W. TAYLOR 66M. R. CHURCHILL.

' ENGINE STARTING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 13, 1909. 1,032,694 Patented July 16,1912,

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CHARLES A." MILNE, WILLIAM TAYLOR, AND ivrrnon n. cnuncrrrrn'or DETROIT,

vrrcnrean, ,assrenons. BY Mnsnn ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro MOTOR APPLIANCES COM PANY, or nn'rnorr, MICHIGAN, A conr'onacrron or MICHIGAN.

ENGINE-STARTING .nn'vrcn.

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Toall tvhom it may concern:

lie 11; known that we, CHARLES A. MILNE,

WILLIAM TAYLOR, and MYRoN- R. Crimson-- the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. I

This invention relates to a starting device for internal combustion engines, and consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means adapted to be actuated by fluidunder pressure for turning the crank shaft of an internal combustion engine to enable an explosive charge to b'edrawn. into the cylinder or cylinders thereof and compressed preparatory to igni- ..t-ion, obviating the necessity of cranking the engine by hand as commonly practised.

The above object is attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which t Figure l is an elevation of our starting device connected with the crank shaft of an internal combustion engine, parts being in section. Fig. 2 is a plan-view of Fig. 1 with the engine removed and the friction disk on the engine shaft in diametrical section. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the controlling valve which regulates the flow of fluid under pressure to the cylinders of the starting device. Fig. 4- is a longitudinal sectional ViBW/ through the curved concentric cylinders of the starting device, the, pistons and piston rods in said cylinders, as well as the arm to which they are attached, appearing in elevation, the controlling valve appearing "in section. Fig. '5 is a horizontal section as on line =55 of Fig. 4, the crank shaft appearing. in elevation. Fig. 6 is an Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 13, 1909.

Serial No. 495,643.

enlarged. fragmentary view in section of a portion of one end of said cyhnders. Fig. -7' 1s a.-hor1zontal section as on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1

designates the engine having the usual crank shaft 2 which passes through the hub 3 'of the disk 4, said hub being keyed on said.

shaft and said disk having a laterally projecting flange 5 for purposes hereinafter stated.

The auxiliary frame 6 of the-starting de vice is mountedton the frame ofthe car in any suitable manner and is provided with a sleeve 7 through which passes freely the hub Patented July is, 1912..

3 of'the disk at. Mounted to turn upon the inwardly extending end of'the sleeve 7 ad jacent the face of the disk 1- is acollar S carrying a radially projecting arm 9 adapted to swing in the are of a circle concentric with the engine shaft.

Supported in the frame 6 at their opposite ends are the semicircular concentric cylinders 10 and 11 respectively, cylinders 10 of which being of the greater vdiameter. Within the cylinder 10 is a piston 12. Rigidly attached at one end to said piston is a semicircular piston rod 13, whose oppositeend is rigidly secured to the outer end of the arm 9, said rod passing freely through the head 14: which closes one end of the cylinder 10.

The other end of said. cylinder is closed by a head 15 having set therein a rubber buffer 16. To provide for removably retaining the cylinder 10 in the frame 6, the heads of said. cylinder are passed through apertures in a said frameand secured by the locking plates 17 which are adapted to enter peripheral channels in that portion of the heads of said cylinder projecting above the plane of said frame, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The smaller cylinder 11 lies within the aredescribed by the cylinder 10 and is closed at one end with a head 18, the ends of said cylinder being suitably supported in the frame 6. Within the cylinder 11 is a piston 19 to which one end of a semicircular piston rod 20 is rigidly secured, the other end of said rod being rigidly secured to the arm 9 on the opposite side thereof from the polnt of attachment of the rod 13" and extending from said arm in a direction opposite to that of the rod of cylinder 10, said rods as well as said cylinders being concentric with the axis of the shaft 2.

Leading from the pressure tank or reservoir, not shown, is a supply pipe 21 which communicates with the valve case 22 of a three-way valve 23. Said valve has con nected to the stem thereof an arm 24 to .which is pivoted an actuating rod 25. Com- As before stated, the collar 8. carrying the arm 9 is loosely mounted on the sleeve 7. To dctachably connect said arm with the disk 4 for the purpose of imparting motion to the crank shaft through the medium of said disk, a dog 29 is employed which is pivot ally mounted in a bracket 30 projecting from said arm and is adapted to engage with the point 31 thereof, the inner wall of the flange 5 of said disk, in which position said dog is normally held by the spring 32 confined between it and the face of said arm. Then the arm 9 swings to the left, as shown in the drawings, thepoint of the dog will engage the flange of the disk and lockthe arm anddisk together, thereby causing the arm in its'movement to turn the shaft 2. A continuation of the movement of said disk in the same directi0n,'or a reverse movepiston to the opposite end of-the cylinder,

causing the arm 9 through the connection of the piston rod 13 therewith, to swing in the arc of a circle and turn the crank shaft 2 through the medium of the dog 29 and friction disk 4 with the rim or circular flange of which said dog engages. The movement imparted to the crank shaft through the medium of said arm is ordinarily sufficientto compress an explosive charge in the cylinder of the engine and enable said charge to be fired by the ignition mechanism, not shown, after compression, giving the necessary impulse to the engine to insure a continuation of its operation. To restore the parts to their normal position after the operation just described, the valve 23 is turned to the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby establishing communication through the valve case between the pipe 21 and the pipe 27, allowing fluid under pressure to enter the end of'cylinder 11 between the head of said cylinder and the piston therein,

and move said piston .tothe opposite end of its cylinder, thereby returning the arm 9 through the medium of the curved piston rod 20 connected therewith to its normal position, as well as the piston in the cylinder 10. It will be. noted on referring to Fig. 3 that the movement of the valve 23 which connects pipe 27 leading from cylinder 11 with the pressure pipe 21, also connects pipe 26 communicating with the cylin der 10 with the exhaust port 28 through the valve case so that as the piston of cylinder 10 is returned, the fluid therein may be exhausted through said port in the valve case to permit of a free return of said parts.- When the arm 9 is returned to its normal position by the operation just described, the

annular flange 33 thereon is engaged by the v spring catch 34: mounted on the frame to yieldingly restrain said arm against accidental movement and prevent rattling of the parts, said catch not having sufficient force to restrain the movement of'said arm when pressure is applied in the cylinder 10 to actuate the engine shaft. Then the arm 9 is thrown over tothe limit of its movement through the application of pressure to.

the piston 12in the cylinder 10, it is arrested by the rubber buffer 16 against which it strikes. It will be noted that the shape of the dog 29 is such that'when the arm 9 shall have reached the limit of its movement to the left, the movement of the crank shaft in the same direction may continue through the impetus imparted thereto by the movement of said arm, said dog releasing its hold upon the flange of disk 4 and permitting a free rotation of said disk with the shaft. 111' order to hold the dog 29 from peripheral engagement with the flange of disk 4 against the action of the spring 32 when the arm 9 is in its normal position and while the engine is running, a lug 35 is caused to project from the frame 6 which engages and lifts said dog against'the action of said spring upon a return of the arm-9, thereby holding.

vit from the inner wall of the flange 5.

Should the engine fail to start upon the initial operation of this device, the operation may be repeated as many times as desired bya manipulation of the valve 23 to successively place the concentric cylinders 10 and 11 in communication with the pressure pipe 21 and the exhaust port 28.

Having thus fully set forth ourinvention,

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

gine shaft, a curved cylinder concentric with the axis thereof having an open end,a piston in said cylinder, a curved piston rod connected at its inner end to said piston, the outer endof said rod projecting from the open end of the cylinder, a radially disposed swinging arm having its axis of oscillation concentric with the axis of said.

rection opposite to the movement imparted;

. thereto by the power stroke of the piston.

gine shaft, a curved cylinder, a piston there- 2. In an engine starting device, an ,en-

in havin a curved piston rod, a radial arm connecte to the end of said rod, a clutch device connecting said arm to the engine shaft to impart movement to the shaft by a movement of said arm in one direction, a

second cylinder, a piston in said second cyl-- inder, means connecting the piston of the second cylinder with the=arm connected to the piston rod of the first cylinder, and means for alternately admitting pressure to said cylinders to cause amovement of their respective pistons.

3. In an engine starting device, an engine shaft, a curved cylinder having an open end, a piston in said cylinder, a curved .piston rod connected to said piston and extending from the openend of said cylinder, a

' radial arm extending between the piston rod and the engine shaft said arm being rigidly connected at its outer end to the projecting.

end of said piston rod, the inner end of said arm being pivoted concentric with the shaft of the engine, and means rigidly connecting the pivoted end of said arm to the engine shaft to, impart a rotation to said shaft injthe direction of and coincidentyvith the movement of saidpiston during its power stroke, said connecting means disconnecting the arm andshaft byv a movement of said arm in the oppositedirection.

In anengine starting device, an engine shaft, a semicircular cylinder concentric with the axis thereof,a second semicircular cylinder also concentric with the axis of-said shaft, an arm having its axis {if oscillation concentric with the axis of said shaft, means connecting said arm to said shaft to cause a rotation thereof by a movement of said arm'in one direction, a piston in-each of said cylinders, each piston being connected to said arm, and means for succe'ssively admitting fluid under pressure to said (iylinders to actuate the pistons therein. 5. 11 an engine startlng devlce, an engine shaft, two semicircular cylinders concentric with the axis thereof, a movable arm having its axis of oscillation concentrio with the axis of said shaft, means for connecting said arm to the engine shaftto impart a movement to said shaft by a movement of said arm in one direction, a piston in each ofsald cylinders connected with said arm, said cylinders being adapted to travel in unison, means for alternately introducing fluid under pressure to said cylinders, and means for .successively exhausting the pressure from said cylinders.

6. In an engine starting device, an engine shaft, a cylinder curved concentric with the axis of said shaft having an open end,

a piston in said cylinder, a curved piston rod connected to saidpiston and projecting from the open end of said cylinder, a movable a-rm. extending radially between said shaft -'and piston rod, said armhaving its axis of oscillation concentric with the axis ofv the engine shaft, the outer end of said arm being rigidly connected to the projecting end of said piston rod, and means carried on-said arm for rigidly connecting the inner end thereof to the shaft of the engine to impart a rotation to said shaft coincident withand in the direction of travel of said piston during its power stroke.

7. In an engine starting device, an engine shaft, ,amain cylinder curved concentric with the axis" of said shaft, a piston in said cylinder, a curved piston rod connected to said piston, an auxiliary cylinder also curvedconcentri'c with the axis of the engine shaft, a piston therein, a curved piston rod connected thereto, means connecting the rods of said pistons, and means for connecting the piston rod of the main cylinder to the engine shaft, said last-mentioned means serving to cause a rotation of said shaft by a movement in one direction of the main piston rod and to disconnect said rod from said shaft when said rod is moving in the opposite direction.

8. In an engine starting device, an engine shaft, two semicircular cylinders con centric with the axis of said shaft, one of said cylinders being a inain cylinder and having apiston therein, a piston rod connected to said piston, a swinging arm connected to said piston rod, means carried by said arm for turning the engine shaft by a movement of said piston rod in one direction, the other cylinder having a piston and a piston red, the piston rod ofv the second cylinder being connected to said arm, and means for successively admitting fluid under pressure to said cylidners.

9. In an engine starting device, an engine shaft, a main scmicircula r cylinder and a second semicircular cylinder both concentrio with the axis of said shaft, a movable device connected with the engine shaft to ment of said device in one direction, a' pis- In testimonywhereof, We sign this speci- 10 fication 1n the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES A. MILNE. WILLIAM TAYLOR,

impart movement to said shaft by a moveton in the main cylinder connected with said movable device to cause a movement thereof in a direction-to turn the engine shaft, the V MYRON R CHURCHILL second cylinder having a piston connected with'said movable device to return it to the lVitnesses:

initial position, and means for alternately O. B. BAENZIGER, admitting pressure to said cylinders. I I. G. HOWLETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing. the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

